At first glance, this work might appear more like a difficult academic challenge rather than the latest popular music record by a musician whose last single featured a global K-pop star. Split into four distinct sections and voiced in 13 tongues, this is a dizzying orchestral-influenced work investigating feminine mystery, spiritual transcendence, and corporal transformation, often by way of the prism of different women saints. The end of a romance—a theme treated with grounded openness elsewhere—is shot upwards here, buoyed by the lush sound of a major orchestra and contributions from an award-winning songwriter within a long list of contributors. Its sheer daring by itself renders the work of contemporary pop stars seem rather small.
Rising Above Academic Exercise
That Lux manages to avoid dry academic chin-stroking is almost a miracle, with sole credit belonging to Rosalía. While this is not her first project to blend historical sounds and modern styles, the scale feel far greater on Lux, with the tightrope walk far more precarious. The element that really elevates this fourth album, beyond its complex tunes, rich arrangements, and inherent drama, proves to be an essential spirit of playfulness. Much like the legendary Björk during her height, there is a captivating quality to the vocalist's singing which sweeps the listener into its tornado. Even when she is breaking hearts in two, you nevertheless desire to stay alongside her through the ride.
A Prime Example of Exuberance
This playful energy shines clearly on a stirring Italian song inspired by a saint. It luxuriates in a string-drenched whirlpool for several minutes. Then, everything drops silent, to reveal there's a spontaneous giggle followed by a comment before a comically over-the-top string crescendo thuds in with cartoonish impact. The song then shifts to the wild single driven by galloping strings, an imposing choral group, and a surprise appearance from the artist Björk.
"The charm of this album is that the listener never quite understand—or even wish to know—what you will go next."
Almost every track ends at a completely different place than how it started. A track examines the transient trappings of fame with a delicate orchestration before collapsing in digital cacophony. Another, a song echoing the artist's previous rhythmic work starts off dark and brooding, with menacing vocals, until sudden traditional rhythms and an angelic chorus arrive to smooth its rough edges.
The Balance Between Art and Pop
A key balancing act of the album is navigating the line between radical innovation and mainstream appeal. It is little coincidence that it has achieved the artist's highest-charting release to break into the upper reaches of key charts: at its core a suite of utterly catchy pop songs. A song sung entirely in English builds around a chorus that feels to collect increasingly nagging hooks while it spirals skyward. That trick gets repeated on another expansive ballad that expands and contracts, weaving layered melodies as an intricate weave.
- A waltz-like song seduces with its playful, theatrical flair and a chant-along hook.
- In its words, it aligns with cultural honesty of other breakup anthems, eviscerating an ex- lover described as an "emotional terrorist".
- Across these tracks, the vocals have a painted-on edge, like a fairy-tale figure hiding a blade: "Top prize in being a motherfucker / You have won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Ears
This album represents popular music on a maximalist scale, an ambitious reach for capital-A artistry amid of impending AI-generated blankness. It eschews self-absorption for glorious elevation, crafting an over-the-top spectacle that masterfully manages its own inherent ridiculousness. It is a deep source of hidden treasure that requires time to completely mine but doesn't feels like hard work. Where other big releases of 2025 felt like a meager meal, Lux is a lavish feast where the guests at it, some intoxicated on holy drink, flutter between conversations about ancient saints, the profound sensation of soul-shattering sadness, and common stories about hopeless partners. In essence, it's a modern-day musical from pop's truly endlessly inventive practitioner.
